


my saturday smile

by haipollai



Category: Avengers (Comics), Captain America
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bartenders, College Student Bucky, Getting Together, Grad Student Steve, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:40:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Your usual, sir?" Bucky drawls, already turning for the whiskey.</p>
<p>"Yea." Steve licks his lips nervously, hoping he's not staring too much as Bucky's too tight shirt pulls over his shoulders and back.</p>
<p>"I uh I missed you," Bucky says quietly, leaning in close as he pours the drink. "This morning. You ditched."</p>
            </blockquote>





	my saturday smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Renne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renne/gifts).



> Title from Gin Wigmore's Saturday Smile  
> original idea came from a text on texts from last night (hint, it's the conversation about gay porn)

Steve doesn't even need to look to spot his friends by the bar. He can hear them the moment he steps inside. Tony is trying to explain to Peter (is he even old enough to be in here? Steve is pretty sure he isn't old enough to be in here) some science formula using one of Carol's hands and his beer as part of the explanation. Carol doesn't even seem to notice, intent on her conversation with Sharon. He sees Rhodey and Sam and gives Sam a small wave.

Steve looks over at Bucky, behind the bar and helping some other customer. Smiling and flirting and Steve tries desperately to ignore the pang in his chest (it was one night, a stupid night and they're friend). But Bucky's smile grows when he sees Steve. Before he can stop himself, his feet redirect away from their group and head straight to Bucky.

"Your usual, sir?" Bucky drawls, already turning for the whiskey.

"Yea." Steve licks his lips nervously, hoping he's not staring too much as Bucky's too tight shirt pulls over his shoulders and back.

"I uh I missed you," Bucky says quietly, leaning in close as he pours the drink. "This morning. You ditched."

"Bucky-"

"If-"

"Excuse me," a customer interrupts, leaning in uncomfortably close. His girlfriend sighs and tries to smile apologetically but it looks like more of a grimace. She turns back to her phone after a second ignoring them all. "Can I get a drink?"

Bucky beams, all sticky sweetness. "Of course sir." Steve quickly throws back the whiskey, wondering if he can still go hide behind Rhodey and avoid this conversation for a little bit longer. But Bucky shoots him a look as he gets a glass for the guy's beer, keeping Steve in his seat. "7 bucks."

The guy hands over a card and leans over the counter, looking intently at Bucky. Steve stares down at his hands, telling himself that there's no jealousy in his gut, he has no say over who looks at Bucky. "Hey you look familiar. We have a class together?" The guy asks.

Bucky makes a show of looking at the name on the card while waiting for the machine to authorize it. "No, don't think so." He turns back to the guy, handing over everything, that same look of concentration on his face. "You watch a lot of gay porn?" The man goes pale and almost forgets his beer in his haste to be on the other side of the bar from Bucky. "Pig," Bucky mutters under his breath and grabs the whiskey again to top of Steve's glass.

"I have an early class, you know that," Steve says, half heartedly trying to get Bucky to stop.

"Steve."

They're both leaning in so close that Steve feels like they're just going to make out there. Which they shouldn't. Making out led to their current problem. "You're my best friend Bucky. You have been since I was five."

"I fucking swear Steve if you give me the I don't want to ruin our friendship speech I'm kicking you out."

"You can't. Both our names are on the lease and you can't afford the entire rent on your own," Steve points out but Bucky's scowl doesn't falter. "I don't want to fuck up our friendship," he sighs. "I don't."

"So ignoring the fact that last night was really good is going to keep everything just fucking fine?" He hisses. Before Steve can react, Bucky leans over the bar and kisses him, one hand curling around the nape of his neck so Steve can't pull away. He tastes like something sweet, but he's pulling away before Steve can figure it out. "Think about that," Bucky hisses and then he's moving away, down the bar to check in with some customers.

Steve is left staring after him until a hand claps his shoulder. "So which question do I start with?" Sam says.

"None of them. Please." Steve buries his face in his hands.

Sam sighs and loops his arms over Steve's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go talk." Sam leads him out of the bar and pushes him down to sit on the curb. Drunk college students wander up and down the sidewalk behind them. "Well?"

Steve stares at his hands. He knows Sam won't be offended or disgusted, he's known Sam for years. Sam and Bucky had a thing when they were all freshman, years ago now. It ended mutually, they're all still friends. But Sam and Bucky didn't have history before they hooked up. Not like Steve and Bucky do. "We made out last night."

"That's it?"

For a second Steve just stares at him, stunned that someone else doesn't see the dilemma here. "No, there were- we might have jacked each other off."

"You sound like Carol with all her poli sci talk. I will neither affirm or deny-" Steve cuts him off by nudging him in the stomach with an elbow and Sam tries to smother his laughter and just ends up giggling into Steve's shoulder. Steve finds himself grinning back, it's easier then being upset, maybe the entire thing is kind of funny. "So you two shared some hand jobs and make outs and now it's all a fucked up mess?" Sam asks when he has his breath back.

"Something like that."

"You like him?"

Steve shrugs. "He's Bucky." He's not sure if it explains enough but Sam nods, seems to understand.

"So go for it. You've basically been dating for years. About time you made it physical." Sam bumps his shoulder against his. "Go for it," he repeats.

Steve bumps him back. "I can't believe you're encouraging me with this."

"Really man? He's your best friend. I'm surprised it took you so long. I thought you were fucking him when you first introduced us."

Steve stares down at his feet. Last night had been good. Really good. He'd spent most of the day trying not to think about it, about the feel of Bucky's mouth and hands and the way their legs had tangled together. The way they'd fit like they'd done it all before. Sam stays beside him and lets him think without any pressure. The world moves around them but Steve feels separate from it all. When he sucks on his lower lip, he thinks he can still taste Bucky. He remembers Bucky last night, glowing, slightly tipsy. He always got free drinks while working, even if his shifts ended early, he never came home entirely sober. And when he'd fallen into Steve's bed, giggling about something only he understood, it had been so easy for the rest to just happen.

Steve wasn't used to easy. He was used to a single mom working three jobs to keep food on the table, and he was used to struggling to stay in school and pay the bills on time. He was used to dating people who didn't have the patience for him to write a few more lines, who got tired of dates on the couch because going out was just not in the budget this month.

"Bucky's dad will kill him if he finds out," Steve whispers.

"Yea well, there's got to be something for him to find out first." Sam rests his chin on his knees and doesn't quite look at him. "Does this mean you're gonna stop being stupid about this? That's not Bucky's dad in there waiting for your answer. That's just Bucky. And the rest of the shit, is just that. Flush it down the toilet."

Steve grins despite himself. "That was a great motivational speech."

"You can thank the beer and tequila for that one."

Steve pushes himself up to his feet and holds out a hand for Sam. "Come on."

"So you're doing it?"

Steve shrugs, which isn't an answer at all but Sam nods. It doesn't even matter if he understands, he just accepts. They head back into the bar together. Carol cheers when she sees them. "Thought you'd ditched!"

Steve makes himself smile and Sam keeps him walking in the right direction before he can veer off to Bucky at the other side of the bar. "Why would I do that? All I have at home is undergrad papers to grade." Sharon tugs Sam away from him and into her lap on the bar stool and Steve is left with Carol wrapped around him.

"Saw you come in then you disappeared," she mumbles.

"It's complicated," he answers softly.

"Oh? Well, Complicated over there is upset, and has been shooting dirty looks at the door the entire night." She gives Bucky a pointed look. " _I_ think _he_ thinks you ran away with Sammy boy," she whispers dramatically. Usually when they're all there, Bucky spends most of his shift lingering around them but now seems to be trying to stay as far away as possible.

"That obvious?"

"You're both obvious. Go get him, tiger." Carol shoves him lightly.

"Never say that again," he says before walking away. A quick glance over his shoulder and he can see they're all watching him. He's not sure if it makes him feel better or worse. They're all good friends and he knows they care but the pressure weighs heavily on his shoulders.

Steve waits for Bucky to finish up with the customers he has but Bucky can only avoid him for so long. "Thought you'd gone home. Had a whole thing prepared about you being an idiot and once I'd graduated you wouldn't have to worry about me again, I'd go live in another state and-" Steve cuts him off by yanking him forward for a kiss. The edges of the bar dig into his stomach but Steve doesn't care. He lets go when their friends start cheering. He wishes he could take Bucky outside, or just take him home. Somewhere where they could talk without an audience. "That-"

"I needed time to think," Steve says before Bucky can launch himself into another tirade.

"And?"

"I thought and realized we could be a good thing."

Bucky laughs breathlessly, letting out the tension he'd been holding onto. He rests his elbows on the bar and leans forward, and Steve stays right where he is. Close enough they're touching. Steve's fingers rest on Bucky's neck and Bucky's palm is on his arm. "Fuck yeah we could be."

"Promise no moving away after graduation?" Steve wants to kiss him again. It catches him by surprise and he pushes away the initial panic, because it's okay. This is the path they're going down now.

Bucky's smile doesn't look any different then usual but it feels different. "My boss is going to yell at me in about a minute and fifteen seconds. If Sharon and Sam don't jump you first."

"After work?"

"Don't worry," Bucky's voice drops. Steve's heard him like this before, but never directed at him. "I'll make sure you know I'm home." 

"Should I head home now to get all that grading done with and out of the way?"

Bucky's eyes light up and there's a flush to his cheeks as he turns away to go back to helping customers. Steve watches him before there's a hand again on his shoulder. "Alright lover boy," Sam says. "Time to come back down to Earth. I think we owe you some shots."


End file.
